Ravan has decided to look elsewhere for adventure. I guess the manticore quest was too much for her. That or riding downwind of Grog. We decide to make a trip down to where the Woodcutter is. As the group start to leave town, we are accousted by a smaller than normal halfling girl and her riding dog. The red haired midget wants to join our group. We ask what skills she would bring to the group and she says she is Aribeth, a Bard. We ask what SKILLS she has and she seems unable to show us any. Grog is asked to "test" her. To her credit, she stands her ground. Unfortunately, her attacks are weak and ineffective.
       Grog hits her once with the flat of her axe and then tries only to parry her attacks. She is disarmed and throws a small dagger into Grog's shoulder. Grog licks the blade and throws it back, into the ground between her feet. We wait for her to show some bardic ability that would show us why we would allow her to join the group. "We don't need a weak fighter!", cries Eric, trying to get her to show us something besides fighting.
       When she does nothing, not even offer to heal Grog's wound, Eric shouts "Enough time wasted! Let us go!" We mount up but the halfling midget gets on her dog and follows. She trails behind us singing, alerting anyone and everyone of our presense. It is as if she is going out of her way to show us why she should NOT be part of the group.

       As we go deeper into the forest, followed by the halfling and her annoying singing, we spot tracks. Grog and several others dismount moments before the bandits ambush us. The halfling is almost out of sight and seemingly ignored. Did she set us up for the ambush?
       Two of the bandits concentrate on Brandon and he falls with several arrows in his chest. Two more bandits, including the Leader, concentrate on Eric. He takes one arrow in the leg as he dismounts. Eric responds with a Sleep spell on two bandits that takes one of the bandits out. Pulling his longbow, he prepares for battle. Tiger makes sure the wounded archer is down for good.
       "Attack!", yells Eric to his Warhorse as the leader and another bandit attack him. They seem to have selected him as their target. There are only six bandits. Three have attacked Eric. While Eric's warhorse fends off the Leader, Eric takes out the Archer. The leader stabs Thunder and Eric orders it to retreat. Eric also orders Tiger to make sure the downed archer stays down. Eric orders the warhorse away but the leader takes another attack on it, nearly gutting it.
       Grog quickly dispatches the bandit near Brandon and then heals the downed rogue. Aurora uses her shortbow and takes out one of the ambushers. Whitefire moves in on the leader and is attacked as he approaches.

       As Eric and the Leader face off, Aribeth fires into the melee and hits the leader. The leader is now surrounded by three of us with bows drawn. "Surrender!", cries Eric. Even though we are prepared to fire at his slightest misstep, he is able to pull out a potion and drink it before the three of us can react. He turns invisible. Eric quickly casts a Color Spray Spell into the area where the bandit was but to no effect even tho it covers a large area. The bandit slips past us even though he was surrounded. Even the Monk can not catch the bandit's footsteps.
       Even though wounded, Eric uses his tracking skills to follow the invisible bandit, ordering Tiger to flank his position and listen for the bandit. The tracks circle back on the ambush site and might be from the original bandits setting up the ambush but Eric does not give up. The tracks finally lead to a tree even though no one heard the sound of a tree being climbed. Tiger stares intently into the tree. Eric calls the group to surround the tree. Thinking quickly, he reasons that the bandit must be in the trunk of the tree since so one noticed any of the branches moving. He casts a Color Spray spell into the trunk area but it has no effect. He considers casting a detect magic spell but has been told that will not be effective.
       "Surrender!", we order. "Nothing you do could prevent me from dying should I tell you.", hisses the bandit leader. Eric casts another Color Spray spell at the sound of the voice but it is again useless. The bandit drinks from a vial and becomes visible. He falls from the tree and Tiger backs away giving Eric the impression of "Poison." Eric warns everyone to beware the poison.

       The bandits are searched and each had a vial of deadly, quick acting poison. The leader also has a vial of contact poison. Grog takes these into his custody and heals Eric and his horse. Whitefire has tied up the prisoner that Eric felled with his Sleep spell. On the bodies we find 130 gp as well as a bag with a note reading, "The caravan leaves in 2.". They also had a mastercraft longsword, a nice composite longbow as well as other equipment.
       When the bandit awakens, we question him. He seems stubborn and quick to ask us to kill him. He tries to bargain with us. Eric tells him that if his info is useful enough we might allow him to live but otherwise we will not grant him a quick death but will instead take him to town for judgement. He responds that doing such would mean his death. We try to tell him that his life means nothing to us. We will give him a slim chance at life and escape but only if he provides us with good information and flees the area at the fastest possible speed and never returns. To back this up, Eric tells the bandit (Shawn Timmons) that the group WILL tell his name to the town so that anyone seeing him will kill him on sight. During the interrogation, Brandon asks whether we can cast Detect Lie and so Eric casts Dancing Lights and pretends it is a truth spell.

       The Bandit tells us that he knows of three other encampments. The bandits receive orders from someone inside the town. It usually takes one day for the bandits to receive orders. The bandits deal with the nearby Orcs and almost half of the 30 bandits in this southern area are Orcs. Each camp has 5-6 men including one leader. He marks the location of the bandit camps on Eric's map. There are no "safe passage" , emblems but some wagons with blue painted wheels are allowed through. The leader's name was Haron Patch. Shawn was paid 10 gp a week plus a share of any loot. Eric questioned the bandit about getting supplies from town but he says the bandits foraged and occasionally got elven supplies.

       When Eric asks the bandit to tell of the dangers in the area, Shawn says there are undead to the south-east. He leads us to the first hidey-hole that is concealed by a permanent illusion of a boulder. Eric touches the bandit with his finger coated in skunk oil and tells the bandit it is a slow acting poison and that should he try and escape, he will die an agonizing death. The bandit seems outraged when we tie his hands and hobble his feet and, at Eric's insistence, will not allow him to poke around in the hidey-hole. Brandon does the investigation and finds a chest. Discovering no traps, he pulls out the chest and finds a key behind the chest. The chest contains 20 platinum pieces, 120 gp in gems, a +1 Dagger and trail rations. Not much to warrant hiding with a permanent illusion.

       The second cache only had trail rations in it. The bandit says this is the extent of his knowledge and demands to be freed. Most of the group seem to be inclined to let the bandit go. Eric does not believe that the bandit gave all the information he knew and that it was not enough to fulfill the bargain but goes along with the group after making sure the bandit is stripped of everything but his loincloth. Whitefire thinks this is harsh and seems to think we should equip him so he has a better chance to kill again. Brandon has an idea and uses the Troglodyte oil to set a trap in the chest under the permanent illusion.

       When we arrive at the Woodcutter's with the five dead bandits in tow, Eric asks if the Manticore attacks have stopped. They have but the Woodcutter seems to think his offer of a bounty has been taken care of by the town and Gribbon. When asked about bounties for the bandits, the reply is the same. Eric comments that perhaps the group will patrol another area the next time since there are no bounties to be had here. Whitefire and to some degree even Grog seems upset at this comment and Whitefire says it is like asking for "Protection Money". When out of earshot, Eric explains that the group is in the business of making money and putting our lives on the line for these people. Brandon and Aurora agree. Eric also explains that he wants the citizens of Fairhill to know who is doing the work and that they should be beholden to the GROUP and not to Gribbon. It is inferred several times that we work for Gribbon even though it was a condition of employment that we worked for the TOWN and not Gribbon.

       We cover the bandit bodies and take them to Gribbon's estate. We are let into the gates and see a dozen or so armed guards. Why is Gribbon allowing the town to be blockaded and monsters to prey upon the citizens if he has such powerful resources?? We reveal the bodies dramatically but Gribbon seems unimpressed and unphazed. He also says we are already getting paid but this does not fit into Eric's idea of what minor patrolling is. Here, we have taken out one group of what was listed as the town's major enemy and what is causing the embargo yet they do not even rate a bounty.
       We take the bodies into town and show them off, trying to gain info on whether they have been seen before. Two may have been seen drinking at an inn, nothing more. Again, no bounties - we are told that we have already been paid. In the future, all agreements will have to be put into writing so there is no misunderstanding. We hang the dead bodies in the town square by their feet. We also check all the wagons in town for blue paint but find none.
       Aribeth is awarded a half share for her efforts even though Eric is still mistrustful of her intent. Eric casts Detect Magic on the loot and manages to catch Brandon and Aribeth in its effects also. Aribeth has Leather Armor +1. Brandon has a Rapier +1.

       Eric asks that no one travel alone. Aurora and Aribeth go to the jeweler to sell the gem. Aribeth buys the gem instead and when Eric learns of this he makes a rule that says all items much first be appraised by another source and everyone gets a chance to bid on an item.
       Eric and Grog go to Dar the Armorer to sell the equipment from the bandits. Dar gives us the best prices he can and we take his best offer rather than carry the items to the next town to sell them. We keep the Dagger +1.
       Eric suggests that Brandon and Whitefire go to Gribbon's Estate and try to elicit any info they can while getting an idea of its defenses and layout. They are waited on by a young boy who does not wear s slave collar. Brandon notices a murder hole in the room they are led into. Brandon tries to get a reaction from Gribbon by saying, "Shawn says Hello." Gribbon does not react. Brandon then tries to get a reaction by telling Gribbon that we discovered the locations of several of the bandit camps. Whitefire says nothing and whether he will inform the group about these events, only time will tell.

       Aurora and Brandon purchase light barding for their warhorses.
       Returning to town, Eric and Aurora purchase more Alchemist's Fire. Eric pays handsomely to have a waitress buy a pig to place in Grog's bed as a joke. He and Aurora stay up late to use the forge to make glass bulb's for Fire Arrows. Aribeth proves useful with her Bowyer/Fletcher skills. Eric's bulbs are of inferior quality and can not be used but Aurora's turn out ok.
       Brandon purchases rooms in three different inns so any assassins or robbers will be unsure as to our location. He also decides to spend the night on the rooftop near Gribbon's estate to watch for comings and goings. This presents a problem in logistics but Eric still manages to get the pig placed in Grog's bed.
       Knowing that Aribeth's life may now be in danger, Eric invites the halfling to stay with the group for the night but does not have her stand guard. He is still unsure of her and she has not been invited to join the group.